Filling Vape Cartridges

What is the best way to fill vape cartridges?

We have sold millions of empty vape cartridges since the inception of our company in 2007. We have assisted beginners and experts alike. We have a wide range of clients using wax, rosin, and distallite applications and each application is different. We have compiled a list of guidelines to follow that will help to minimize any leaking issues you may experience when filling vape cartridges.

1) Whether you are working with wax, rosin, or distallite, you are going to want to warm the solution up to 100 - 110 degrees, this will make the solution easier to work with. It is not necessary to go past 110 degrees as the solution will be thin enough to work with at a consistent 110 degrees. Note: A magnetic stirrer can make the job easier, it will help to create a more consistent solution.

2) Once your solution is heated up to 110 degrees you will need to add diluents and flavoring. Wax, rosin, and distallite are naturally too thick on their own and they will need to be thinned out. You will need to thin the solution before it will work effectively in a vape cartridge. In the past, people used EJ-mix which was a combination of PG (propylene glycol), VG (vegetable glycerin), and artificial flavoring. Today, people are looking towards diluents and natural terpenes that are derived from plants, the complete opposite of products like EJ-mix. And it is for good reasoning, more and more people are demanding natural products.

Distillate will need about 15 - 20% total dilution, we recommend 10% diluent, and 10% terpenes (flavoring). If you use more than 10% terpenes/flavoring it may be overly pungent.

Wax will need more dilution than distillate since its starting off as a semi solid and not a thick liquid. You will need 25 - 50% total dilution. We recommend 20 - 30% diluent and 10 - 20% terpene flavoring.

Rosin is natural on its own, and most people will not want to alter it in its natural form. A lot of purists prefer rosin due to its natural extraction methods using only heat and pressure. However, if you are going to dilute rosin to be used in vape cartridges, we recommend a small amount of diluent 5 - 10% and a small amount of terpenes 5 - 10%.

3) Let the solution cool down. You may be tempted to start sucking up hot easy to work with liquid in your 14 - 18 gauge syringe, but allow the solution to cool down to below 90 degrees before filling. You do not want to damage any gaskets or seals that prevent the oil from leaking through the bottom of the cartridge. We have heard several stories of people filling vape cartridges with oil between 110 - 140 degrees. They end up destroying the gaskets and seals which causes the oil to leak out the bottom of the cartridge. Remember to let the solution cool first. If you use the proper amount of diluent and terpenes, and you have the proper sized (gauge) filling syringe you don't need the oil to be excessively hot.

Our smaller customers starting out use 14 - 18 gauge filling syringes to fill cartridges one at a time, usually refilling the syringe between each cartridge fill which takes the longest amount of time and is also the most labor intensive.

After each vape cartridge is filled, it is very important to screw or press down the mouthpiece on the cartridge body as soon as possible. Why? If you do not put the mouthpiece on right away after filling the cartridge, gravity tends to go to work and starts to suck the oil down through the bottom of the cartridge which could cause potential leaks. When you place the mouthpiece on the cartridge body immediately you create an air pocket which helps to keep the oil from flowing through the bottom of the cartridge. Note: If you use press down cartridges which are great for being child proof and tamper proof, you will need a manual cartridge press machine.

It is very important to place the cartridge upside down for 12 - 24 hours after you fill it. Why? Because pressure gasses build up inside the cartridge once you fill and seal it. This pressure needs to be alleviated in some way. If you keep the cartridge upright, the pressure will push the oil out of the bottom of the cartridge. It will leak, and you will lose oil. To combat this, it is essential to store the cartridges upside down (mouthpiece down, cartridge bottom up) for 12 - 24 hours which will allow the gases to escape out of the 510 thread area. Since the oil is resting against the back of the mouthpiece, the pressurized gases can flow through the 510 thread upright without pushing out any oil.

5) After filling and storing the vape cartridges upside down for 12 - 24 hours they are now ready for packaging. Not all vape cartridges will need to be placed upside down for 12 - 24 hours, although most will. We have a select line of ultra premium vape cartridges that are virtually leak proof and they do not have to be gravity-prepped, meaning they do not have to be placed upside down for 12 -24 hours. They can be sold as fast as they are filled.

6) Packaging options? We have seen anything from plastic tubes wrapped with stickers to professional boxes wrapped in artwork. We can customize any packaging option, and we can offer recommendations if your undecided. Speak with a friendly product specialist today @ 708-557-4357

What is the most common vape cartridge size?

The most common size is either 0.5ml or 1.0ml. Over 80 percent of the vape cartridges we sell are either 0.5ml or 1.0ml. The 0.3ml and 0.8ml cartridges make up the other 20% of our business. The 0.3ml are good for samples. We have quite a few clients that buy the 0.3ml to give people the opportunity to try their product before committing to a larger purchase. The 0.8ml are the perfect medium for people that think the 0.5ml is too small and the 1.0ml too large.

What are the advantages of buying 1.0ml vape cartridges?

Years ago, most people were only interested in the 0.5ml size. As the cost of oil solution decreased it became feasible to offer a larger 1.0ml cartridge that was double the size of the 0.5ml. The 1.0ml cartridges are a win-win situation. They are good for the manufacturers and the end customer. It takes half the time to fill one 1.0ml cartridge than it does to fill two 0.5ml ones. Plus, less materials, less labor, and a larger sale. The customer wins because they receive a discount for buying a 1ml cartridge over two separate 0.5ml cartridges.

What's better wick or ceramic coil?

This has a lot to do with preference. Both are good in their own respects. Some people complain that the wick gives off a burnt taste, but we have heard the same issue with ceramic coils. Wick cartridges are very dependable and good to the last drop (they get every last bit of oil) whereas ceramic coil carts tend to leave some solution behind. But ceramic carts are ultimately cleaner and provide the most optimal vaping experience which is why all the big professional atomizers are made with ceramic or quartz coils as opposed to wicks. There are still some large brands that use wick cartridges, although most companies are switching to glass and metal ceramic coil vape cartridges.

What is the best vape cartridge on the market?

We have probably sold over a million cartridges since we started in this business and without a doubt the best cartridge is the High-End vape cartridge. It has the lowest defect rate in the industry. We have sold a ton of different styles and its the one cartridge that never fails people. It has less than a 1 percent defect rate and holds up to any oil solution thick or thin. They are also one of our most expensive vape cartridges, but as the old adage goes "you get what you pay for." The second best cartridge (in our opinion) is the silver-leak proof style which is better suited for thinner oils and not advised for thicker oil solutions.

Why won't my vape cartridge work with my vape battery?

This is a typical situation. Some batteries are not powerful enough to work with certain vape cartridges. For example, the automatic 280mah batteries (that have no push-button) only work with wick style cartridges. If you try to hook up one of these skinny non-push button batteries to a ceramic coil cartridge, it will not work. There are certain batteries that will work with any vape cartridge. The 650mah, 900mah, and 1100mah push button style (that we carry on our website) work with any cartridge on the market.

What is the max voltage I want to use with the 510 thread cartridges?

We would advise not to go over 4.0 volts. We prefer 3.5 - 3.7 volts. Any more than 4 volts and you have a good chance to fry out the wick or ceramic coil. If you fry the wick or coil then you have a useless cartridge. You will have to extract whatever oil you can (you will lose some oil that will be unextractable) and transfer it over to a new cartridge. It is time consuming, messy, and you will need a special syringe to remove whatever oil you can. We have seen this time and time again when we test a new battery, one puff off a strong battery and the cartridge is done for it. We learned our lesson to make sure all batteries are set below 4.0 volts before testing.

Can I have a logo printed on the outside of the vape cartridge?

Yes, absolutely. We have the ability to print on glass, plastic, wood, ceramic, etc. However, your logo will have to be concise and legible. We will have to take your logo and shrink it to fit on the small surface area. When we shrink the logo design, some fine details may not show up. Busy logos that contain a lot of things going on will be hard to fit on a vape cartridge. Simple, concise logos work the best. We have several clients that simplify their original logo so that it can fit the cartridge and be clear enough to read.